Speed-regulator and brake for cranes.



Patented July 3|, I900.

F. R. GABVER.

SPEED REGULATOR AND BRAKE FDR CBANES.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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PATENT Fries,

FRANK R. GARVER, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

SPEED-REGULATOR AND BRAKE FOR CRANES.

SPECIFICATION forming ast Lette s Patent no. 6 dated y 31,

Applicationfiled August 21', 1299. Se rialNo. 72 7,921. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, FRANK R. GARVER, 'a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, havejin-- vented a new and useful Improvement in Speed-Regulators and Brakes for Cranes and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to speed-regulators and brakes for cranes, elevators," &c.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient device to be applied to cranes, elevators, &c., for automatically regulating the speed of a body being lowered, so that if said body acquires toogreat speed said device will of itself check its descent and reduce its rate of speed;

To these ends my invention comprises, generally stated, in conjunction with suitable apparatus for raising andlowering an object, a two-part power-driven shaft, a brake-cylinder loosely mounted on said shaft, a clutch member keyed to one'part of said shaft within said cylinder,a disk keyed to the other part of said shaft Within said cylinder, and one or more swinging brake-shoes carried by said disk, the construction and arrangement being such that when a load is being hoisted the clutch member will force said brakee shoes into contact with. the cylinder and power will be transmitted from'said shaft to the hoisting mechanism, but when said lead is being lowered said cylinder will be locked and said brake-shoes will be free to move by centrifugal force into contact with thescylinder to check the speed of the descending object. i

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of suitable hoisting mechanism with my invention applied there-I to. Fig. 2 .is an enlarged sectional view of the brake-cylinder and its connections with the power-shaft. Fig. 3 is'a section on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4:"iS an enlarged sectional detail view of the means for locking the brakecylinder against rotation.

Like letters indicate like the figures.

I will describe my invention in connection parts in each of withelectric cranes, to which it may be applied to great advantage, although I do not wish to limit the sphere of my invention by this particular application of it.

-I In the drawings, Fig. 1 represents a plan view of a trolley for an electric crane, said trolley in itself, however, forming no part of my invention. This trolley has the wheels a, which travel 011 the overhead tracks a, and said trolley is operated by the motor a Mounted on the trolley-frame is a suitable electric motor I), with the shaft 0 driven thereby. Keyed or otherwise secured to the shaft 0 is the clutch member (1, located within the brake-cylinder e, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 0 and the shaft 0.

Secured to the shaft 0 is the disk f, located within'the cylinder e. Studs or pins 9 project out from the disk f diametrically opposite to eachother. Mounted-to swing freely on said studs 9 are the brake-shoes h, which are curvilinear in form and adaptedtoengage the inner walls of'the cylind'er'e. Y

On the circumference of the cylinder '8 is the ratchet-face 'i, with which a pawl 7c, pivoted to the trolley-frame,.is adapted to engage. Mounted on the same 'pivot, as the pawl k is the arm Z,'which has the spring-ac tuated friction-shoe 072.,adapted to bear against the cylinder e. I

On the outer end of the shaft 0 is the pinion at, which meshes with the gear-wheel 0 on the shaft p. A pinion g on the opposite end of shaft 19 meshes with the gear-wheelr on the shaft 5, which supports the hoisting-drum t with thewinding grooves t formed therein. Upon the motor-shaft c is the brake U, which is of the ordinary style used in connection with electric cranes, and said brake forms no part of my invention. It is composed of the divided collar or band 11 and is adapted to encircle the band wheel n Springs 1; act normally to close said collar around said band-wheel. A lever to, mounted on the standard w, is adapted to force the sections of the collar to apart, and said lever is operated by the solenoid y.

The operation of my improved speed-regulater and brake is as follows: When the load is to be raised, the shaft 0 is rotated by the motor 72 in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 3. The clutch member d will move around in pension. Before the collar ubecomes fully efing that the electric motor 1) is of the series through which it travels in its descent are T e, and thus check the speed. The degree of this speed.

, cated in Fig. 4 by reason of the engagement of the direction of rotation imparted to the shaft cby a descending load. The braking efiect incident to my construction when operating construction illustrated, as that may be vawhich it is to. be applied and the conditions the same direction andforce the brake-shoes h into contact with the inner walls of the cylinder e. A frictional clutch is thus formed between the shafts c and c, and the latter will be rotated in the same direction as the former. .Justas soon as thecylinder e begins to rotate the pawl will drop to the position shown in Fig. 3, while the arm Z will also take the positionillustrated in the same fig ure. Power is thus transmitted to the shaft}? and thence to the hoisting-drum 15. When the load has beenraised the required height, the motor I) is stopped, and the solenoid y releases the lever w and permits the springs o to clamp the collar around the shaft 0, thus prevent ing rotation of said shaft in the opposite direction by the weight of the load held in sus-' fective, however, the'weight of'the suspended load will rotate the shafts c and c and theicylinder aim the opposite direction sufficiently to move the shoe m and the pawl 70 from the'positions indicated in Fig. 3 to the positions indithe shoe with the cylinder, thus locking the cylinder against any further reverse rotation. When it is desired to lower the load, the shaft 0 is released from the brake U, and the motor I; is reversed. The shaft cbeing thus reversed, the clutch member 01 is moved into engagement with thepivoted ends of the shoes h, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 3. Assumtype, such as is usually employed in this re lation, it will tend to run at the speed imparted to the shaft 0 by the descending load. If the weight of the load and the distance such as to rotate the shaft 0 at any considerable spe'ed, th'e'centrifugal force exerted upon the shoes it will throw them outward against the inner periphery of the stationary cylinder as described, being dependent upon the speed, is applied so gradually that no sudden strain is thrown upon the drum or any other parts of the lowering mechanism. I V

I do not wish to limit myself to the exact ried according to the kind of apparatus to of its use.

I What I claim as my invention, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is V 1. The combination with suitable hoisting and lowering apparatus, of a power-driven shaft, a second shaft in alinement therewith, a cylinder loosely mounted on said shafts, clutch mechanism for connecting said shafts embodying a swinging brake-shoe carried by said second shaft within the cylinder, and means for preventing the rotation of said cyl- --inder during the lowering operation, substan- .tially as set forth.

The combination with suitable hoisting and lowering apparatus, of a power-driven shaft, a second shaft in'alinement therewith, a cylinder loosely mounted on said shafts, clutch mechanism for connecti'ngsaid shafts embodying'a curvilinear swinging brake-shoe carried by said second shaft within the cylinder, and means forpreventing the'rotation of said cylinder during the lowering operation, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with suitable hoisting and lowering apparatus, of a power-driven shaft, a second shaft in alinement therewith, a cylinder "loosely mounted on'said shafts, clutch mechanism for connecting said shafts embodying a disk carried by said second shaft Within said cylinder and' provided with a swinging brake shoe," and means for preventing the rotation of said'cyli'nder during the lowering operation,substantially as set forth.

4:. The combination with suitable hoisting andlowering apparatus, of a power-driven.

shaft,'a second shaft in alinement therewith, a cylinder loosely mounted on said shafts, clutch mechanism for connecting said shafts embodying a disk carried by said second shaft within said cylinder and providedwith a stud and a swinging brake-shoe on said stu d,'and means for preventing the rotation of said cyl- 'inde r during the lowering operation, substantially as setforth. I 5

V 5. The combination with suitable hoisting and loweringapparatus', of a power-driven shaft, a secondshaft in alinement therewith, a cylinder-loosely mounted on saidshafts, a clutch member carried by said power-shaft within said cylinder, swinging curvilinear brake-shoes carried by said second shaft, said clutch member, being arranged to move said brake-shoes into contact with the cylinder when the power-driven shaft is 'held'sta'tionary or rotated in opposition to the load,substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with suitable hoisting and lowering apparatus,'of a power-driven shaft, a second shaftin alinement therewith, a cylinder loosely mounted on said shafts, clutch mechanism for connecting said shafts embodying oneor more swinging'brake-shoes carried by said second shaft and a clutch member carried by said power-driven shaft, and

IIO

means for holding said cylinder stationary being actuated by centrifugal action to con- 654,620 a V s trol the movementof a descending load, snbforhoisting, and means for holding the cylstantially as set forth. inder stationary for lowering a load, said 7. Inahoistingand lowering apparatus,the brake shoe being actuated by centrifugal V combination with two shafts arranged end to' force to control'the movement of a desoend- I 5 5 end, of a cylinder loosely mounted on the ading load.

i jacent ends of said shafts, a swinging brake- In testimony whereof I, the said FRANK R. shoe supported by one of said shafts adjacent GARVER, have hereunto set my hand. to the inner periphery of the cylinder, a clutch FRANK R. GARVER. member rigidly mounted on the other shaft Witnesses: a

IO in position to engage said brake-shoe and ROBERT C. TOTTEN,

move it into engagement with the cylinder WALTER FAMA iss. 

